Archery target



Aug. 11; 1931.

H. M. BRADING ARCHERY TARGET Filed March 1 8, 1929 tlonal large,

Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY M. BRADING, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO INDIAN ARCHERY 8c TOY CORPORATION, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA ARCHERY TARGET Application filed March 18, 1929. Serial No. 347,951.

My invention relates to archery and more particularly to a target into whlch arrows may be repeatedly shot without material damage to the target.

The conventional and traditional archery target is made of straw. Rye straw is the usual material which must be cut at a particular stage in its development and before the straw and grain have ripened. This straw must then be put through a curing process during which a ferment or sweating actlon takes place and after which it must be made into ropes and then fabricated intothe convenflat, disc-like body. Such straw targets are not only expensive and more or less diflicult to manufacture, but rapidly deteriorate in use, the straw becoming broken and the target body becoming torn or d1s1ntegrated by the repeated penetration of arrows.

To overcome these difliculties, the present invention contemplates a casing or envelope of loosely woven fabric such as a loose burlap, the interwoven strands of which are easily displaced and returned to their original position with equal facility Such envelope of circular form and having substantially flat spaced front and rear faces, is filled with a body of fibrous material such as tow, wood excelsior, lint or other analogous material which will be nonresistant to the penetration of an arrow, and which will not be easily broken or damaged thereby. The front and rear faces of loosely woven material are interconnected at spaced intervals by transverse ties somewhat similar to upholsterers tufting but not drawn sufficiently tight to materially distort such fabric faces. The fabric being loosely woven, a pointed arrow in penetrating the fabric merely pushes aside the strands thereof, and after withdrawal of the arrow, a to and fro rubbing motion by the fingers of the operator over the hole from which the arrow has been withdrawn serves to replace and rearrange the displaced strands in their original positions and so close such arrow holes, effectually erasing from the target the arrow marks.

\Vith the customary straw target, it is usual to employ a facing sheet usually of oilcloth upon which are imprinted the conventional concentric circles constituting a target face or bulls-eye. Such facing sheets are soon destroyed by being perforated and torn by the arrow shot through the sheet into the body of the target. To afford a cheap facing sheet which may be inexpensively replaced, there is employed in conjunction with the present form of target body a paper facing sheet having thereon the usual concentric circles and about the periphery of which are provided at spaced intervals fabric reinforcement tabs through which large size pins may be inserted into the body of the target for securing such facing sheet in position.

The object of the invention is to simplify the structure and assembly of archery targets whereby they will not only be cheapened in construction, but which will be more efiicient in use, of increased durability, and unlikely to get out of order.

A further object of the invention is to provide an archery target body or the like which will not be readily damaged by the penetration of arrows, and from which the arrow marks may be readily erased.

A further object of the invention is to provide an archery target or the like having a facing of loosely woven material, the interwoven strands of which will be displaced without injury by the penetration of an arrow and which may be returned to their original position subsequent to the withdrawal of the arrow.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive facing sheet for such target and to provide improved means for securing the facing sheet in position upon the target body.

With the above primary and other inci dental objects in view, as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof and the mode of operation or their equivalents as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown the preferred but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective face Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view illustrating the reinforcement and attachment of the paper facing sheet.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to the accompanylng drawings 1 is the target body of circular form havmg fiat front and rear faces and a cylindrical mm or margin. Such target body comprlsesan envelope or enclosure, the faces 2-2 of which are formed of loosely woven fabric, the interwoven strands of which are capable of limited to and fro movement relative to each other.

A loosely woven or comparatively coarse burlap fabric has been found quite suitable. The rim portion 3 may be of similar material, or, if so desired, of moreclosely woven and more resistant material. This envelope or casing is filled with a body 4 of fibrous material such as wood excelsior, tow, lint, bits of shredded fabric or analogous material. If so desired, the casing may be filled with straw, the pieces of which when broken by the penetration of the arrows will be retained within the casing. The front and rear faces 2-2 are interconnected at spaced intervals by ties 5 which stiffen and brace the body and materially assis t in retaining its original form. These ties 5 are preferably independent of each other, so that if one tie should become accidentally broken, it will not affect the tension or tying function of the remaining ties of the series. Such ties; or transverse stitches 5 somewhat resemble upholsters tufting, but are not drawn so tight as to materially distort the faces of the target body.

Overlying the fact of the targetbody 1 1s a facing sheet 6 of comparatively light inexpensive fabric or preferably of paper. Imprinted upon the facing sheet 6 are the usual concentric circle delineations 7. Located about the margin of the facing sheet 6 at spaced intervals are reinforcement tabs 8. These tabs are preferably, though not necessarily, reverscly folded about the margin of the sheet 6, as indicated in Fig. 3. They are secured to the facing sheet 6 by glulng or cementing and serve to reinforce the margin of the facing sheet at such points to. receive attachment pins 9. These p1ns 9 may be of any suitable form. Those customarlly used are T pins which are thrust through the reinforcement tabs 8 into the target body 1. Such facing sheets being quite inexpensive may be discarded at the conclusion of each match or when they become torn. The arrows 10 penetrating the facing sheet 6 enter the body of the target forming holes therein as indicated at 11. The penetration of the pointed arrows, however, do not cut nor tear the fabric face 2, butmerely push aside the.

loosely interwoven strands of the fabric. While this leaves holes 11, upon withdrawal of the arrow 10, the arrow marks are easily erased by rubbing to and fro with the fingers over such holes ll, which causes the loosely woven strands of the fabric to be returned to their original position thus removing the arrow marks as indicated at 12. This capability of the interwoven strands of the facing material for displacement under influence of the penetrating arrow materially increases the durability and life of the target. Experiments have shown that such fabric may be repeatedly penetrated several hundred times Within a quite limited area and the material subsequently returned to substantially its original condition by rubbing without apparent damage. The facing sheets 6 are easily and quickly applied and are so inexpensive that they may be replaced at frequent intervals, thus always affording a clear target of attractive appearance. By reinforcing the margin of the facing sheet 6 with the tabs 8 within the fold of which the margin of the sheet is enclosed, the sheet is not easily torn loose from the body of the target and the insertion of the attachment pins 9 does not materially weaken the facing sheet.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts Without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect and the-invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms and modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. An archery target or the like comprising a casing of loosely woven fabric, the strands of which may be readily displaced by the penetration of an arrow head, a filling of fibrous material, a detachable facing for such target body, reinforcement tabs located at spaced intervals about the periphery of the facing, and removable pins inserted through said tabs into the fiber filled easing.

2. An archery target or the like compris ing a casing of loosely woven fabric, the strands of which are easily displaceable by the penetration of an arrow head, and an eastion of an arrow head, a rim band connecting the circular sides, and a filling of material substantially non-resistant to the entrance of an arrow, the strands of the casing material being returnable to normal relation by rubbing to remove arrow marks.

5. An archery target, including a casin having opposite substantially parallel space faces of loosely woven fabric, the strands of which are easily displaced by the penetration of an arrow head and returnable to substantially normal position upon withdrawal of the arrow, an interposed body of eaisly penetrable filling material, and a plurality of independent ties interconnecting the opposite 0 faces of the casing at spaced intervals through the intermediate body of filling material.

6. In an archery target, including a casing, a lateral facing therefor of loosely woven fabric, the strands of which are easily displaced by the penetration of an arrow head and returnable to substantially original osition upon withdrawal of the arrow, a ody of filling material, easily penetrable by an 40 arrow, underlying the facing of loosely woven fabric, and independent ties interconnectin the fabric facing and body of filling materia at spaced intervals.

7. In an archery target, a circular casing,

including opposite spaced faces of loosely woven burlap material, a filling of wood excelsior therein, and a plurality of independent tie cords interconnecting the opposite faces of the casing through the body of excelsior filling material at spaced intervals.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of February, A. D.

11929. HARRY M. BRADING. 

